Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Feature of the Day #59: Jewel Rene

Today's feature goes to Jewel Rene and her beautiful illustrations. Since she doesn't say much about her background in her profile, this article will mostly feature her work.
Jewel has a special affection for color and line quality. She also has, "a strong aversion for things that could touch me when I swim." It's her hope to, "use the first to over come the second." But whether or not she can swim with sea life, she certainly has a talent for painting them.
This is what she has to say about her, Nautilus Art Print (right)A close cousin to the octopus, the nautilus has his beautiful striped shell to protect him as he jettisons around the ocean. His prehistoric eyes work like pin hole cameras, open to the surrounding sea. If you want to see nautili, you have to dive at dawn or dusk.

The painting itself is a beautiful blend of lights and darks, leaning more to the deeper, mysterious side of the nautilus. Deep blue into black hints at the hidden life of ocean creatures whom live beyond the touch of sunlight. Yet every once in a while they make the trip to the surface, sometimes to eat, sometimes to mate. Always slowly propelling themselves one little push at a time. Their arms searching for a meal while keeping the most delicate parts of itself safely tucked away. The colors are mostly soft, only daring to be bold here and there. Because of the spartan use of color, where it is employed it is much more vibrant and draws the eye in. The blue of the ocean plays off the red and redish brown of the shell, contrasting against each other. It's a beautiful but simple piece that captures the mystery of the Nautilus.

Jewel has a talent for showing the movement of aquatic life while they remain perfectly still in their respective illustrations. For example, in Blue Ringed Octopus, the tentacles are curled in a smooth, swirling pattern. They almost appear as though they could be dancing together, each tentacle intune with its brothers. In Penguin Illustration, Jewel uses bubbles to show the motion of the penguin. The curve of the body from upper right, down to the bottom middle, then back to the upper left keeps the image dynamic and full of life.
Jewel has also created a series based on "Hellephants" (below). They're simple and charming illustrations that started as a simple commission and has taken on a life of its own. (As all good art does.) To see more of these delightful, whimsical and fun illustrations, you can check out Jewel's Etsy store at:http://www.etsy.com/shop/JewelRenee
You can also follow her blog which includes work in progress shots here:http://www.jewelrenee.blogspot.com/